Vegetarian food or non-vegetarian food

While having non-veg food do you think about those killed birds or animals or fish in your plate?

I never used to think about them in the past. Simply enjoyed all those yummy yummy dishes. But nowadays, I donno, I just can’t concentrate while eating chicken or fish. I just feel how good it had been if they were alive..?

I know, they will be killed/eaten by someone else even if I stopped. May be I cannot save them. (trying just to console myself ).

But these feelings haunt me a lot recently. And on the other side I just can’t stop eating non- veg completely. ( I like it too) : (

What will I do..?

How can I stop eating them..?

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Akhila is a self-motivated life-long learner and a self-published author..
She posts technical articles on her blog qualitynotion.com.
She runs a personal blog, wordsandnotion.com where she writes about everything from illusion to reality.

247 thoughts on “Vegetarian food or non-vegetarian food”

I came across this post today. I completely gave up nearly two years ago because I felt bad that certain animals were forced to give up their life so that they could end up as my meal. To this day, I’ve never felt any compulsion to go back to being a non-vegetarian. I still continue to be a steadfast vegetarian-by-choice and I know that I’ll never eat meat again. But the moment I say this, many people shoot questions at me. “What will you do if only meat was available?”, “Do you think there’ll be a difference just because you stopped?” and so on. But I think that something like this should be a personal decision. Because of that, I don’t force people to give up meat. (But I give hell to those who force me to go back to eating meat!)
Maybe, just maybe, I’ll write a blog post about this issue one day 🙂 I owe you for giving me this idea!

You should ultimately like what you’re eating. The satisfaction that you get after eating your favorite food is priceless. That’s the only practical purpose of our life! If you have developed a disliking for non veg better leave it for sometime and start with veg only diet. Maybe your body needs a change!

This might sound a bit harsh, but life eats life. No organism, no matter if it is plant or animal, can survive without the death of other organisms. I think native and indigenous peoples, and those more closely connected to their food source are able to reconcile this fact more easily. I feel the guilt comes from the way food is mass produced. It is one thing to consume an animal that has had a free and complete life up to the moment of its death, but another thing entirely to consume an animal that has spent its life in a cage. Mass produced vegetables and grains do not come without a cost of life either. Large swaths of land are set aside for one crop, creating an ecological desert where few species can live. I don’t feel the guilt should come from whether or not you are eating animals. Our collective guilt should stem from our disconnect with the earth and our food, and the sheer volume of environmental degradation and harm caused by eating food items that result from large scale agriculture. Hardly any of us can avoid this, but we can try to be more conscious about where our food is coming from and how it came to our table.

I go through the same thoughts and thankfully it has led me to cutting down on veg a lot, especially sea food. Somewhere, perhaps trying to console myself, I feel animals farmed for eating are better than stealing them from the wild 😦

I am a vegetarian, but I did eat non veg years ago….I gradually became veg after my yoga course..and i will just tell u that this is a process…even if you eating non veg but you respect your environment and are conscious about living a righteous life…you will be able to resist to your tempation with time…

and btw..you can still make the veggie food taste as chatpatta as the non veg ones 🙂

I think it really comes down to how your conscience guides your decision-making. In my mind I know that animals are killed and processed to feed my family so it doesn’t deter me from enjoying an animal-based meal. Hope your conscience guides you in the right direction 🙂

If you are passionate about not eating meat, then you will be able to do so, without temptation. And I guarantee you will have a new appreciation for food, animals and the environment. Gandhi once said “be the change you wish to see in the world”. You may only be one person, but you are one of many. You will undoubtably make a difference if you chose to become vegetarian, within your own life, the lives of others and in the world. Highly recommend!

It’s about the balance. I’m on day 9 to vegetarian (ovo-lacto) but I can’t wait to have KFC on valentine’s day~ Lol. But I think i’ve found some peace knowing that i’m not eating as much meat as i use to~

When I happened to attend a discourse on consciousness, a question that asked ‘are you happy eating dead bodies’ continue to haunt me. I started indulging more often in non-vegetarian delicacies post marriage, so it became a bigger dilemma. Has this post helped you choose between the two or are you – like me – still in a dilemma?

TO eat or to not, what I feel is there is no point shunning it unless you really want to go vegan. Its only possible when one feels herself/himself and not under some social influence. Till then happy eating 🙂

Hmm, interesting. Though everything eventually dies, so it’s okay. No matter fruit or vegetable, meat or egg. We’re all part of the same system. So even if you classify it (which is at times necessary) we’re all part of the same Earth and everything gets recycled, even you. You become part of something else. The circle of life, man. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference and what you want to do with the statement you’re making – because vegetarianism is a statement, definitely. But are you doing for good? Or are you doing it to be cool?

Haha, that’s good. I don’t judge people on their dietary preferences. I just read a lot about them. Haha. One thing I’d recommend for the debate is “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace. It’s very thought provoking, though long. Good luck being vegetarian! Also, thank you for following my blog!

At the very outset Akila, I had a tough time to manoeuvre to the bottom of the page, that shows that you have indeed stirred up a hornet’s nest with this forever hot debate..
I have two quick solutions for the quandary that seems to plaguing you..here they are..
Many intellects (both past and present) were vegetarians from Pythagoras to Einstein to Bernard shawto Tolstoy to Gandhi…to me, by chance and by choice (self proclaimed intellectual)all die hard veggies, and two, do not make your stomach a tomb for the dead and the decayed matter.
And so the debate continues…

Very politely,
Vegetables are also alive , you put them in soil and they will grow. Why Eat those poor thing when they can grow and see their off springs.

Milk, we drink is food of calf.
Every seed we eat can live and grow into a tree if not eaten.

It’s just vegetable have shorter life and don’t bleed so we are okay about eating it.

Animals and Vegetable both are equally alive. Both are food. Both needs care, water, food, air, whether in garden or in pot or in farm.
We raise them all. I’m only against wasting them, not eating them and throwing them in dustbin which certainly they don’t deserve. When you eat them they live as part of your body but when you through them in dustbin. They rot.

I really like chicken but dilemma my family doesn’t eat so it isn’t cooked.
But I get you point of living animals being killed. A person once told me coz of me they are killed but I said I hardly ever get to eat chicken, she said but you do at times create demand. My reply was its anyways going to be cooked as many others require it every day

I called myself a “vegequarian” – I only eat veggies & seafood. There is nothing wrong loving your meats because I believe human do have a balance of eating meats & vegetables. So don’t feel bad at all! Do what’s right for your body!

Haahaa…this debate is almost like never ending and i stand in same page with you when i was having non-veg like if i haven’t had it someone else will have it though being a hotelier i am fond of eating and may be it hurts some people but i like non veg more than veg😛

Naa…never,even i had it on tuesdays during my graduation time while doing hotel management…How come i enjoy having paneer on beachside it has to be nice seafood & worse part i saw some vegetarians having eggs & called themselves eggetarians…😮😂

Been a vegetarian/vegan for almost 40 years (am 60 now). Started in college where I started to take animal industry classes. It clinched it for me. Yes, it’s a moral issue for me for sure, but also a global issue. Please watch Cowspiracy on Netflix…. Thanks.

U are still justifying your eating by saying anyways they will be slaughtered so what’s the point of only me not eating…so continue to eat n don’t feel guilty about it…there will come a day when you will conclude I am not going to eat them, because I don’t want to be the cause of some animal dying…I struggle with it too…not there yet…

Ya all the time… One week I will tell I am off non veg n d next week I will have this immense craving… its like when you tell urself something is off limit u can’t resist not having it…People around me have now given up n laugh at me if I say I am off nonveg 😉

I like both veg and non-veg, but just like you, I’m a tad more inclined to non-veg. Well, you can console yourself in this way, that, it has long been proved even plants are alive, they response to external stimuli, they grow et cetera… so even veg-loving people are technically “killing” while eating… 😀 😀

I always thank the animal for giving its life to put food on my table. And say ‘I wish your next life to be free of pain and suffering’. It’s a small consolation, but I find if I don’t include meat in my diet, I feel hungry all the time.

Eat what u feel is good for health. If tiger thinks it will hurt deer if I kill it , one day tiger will die out of hunger or malnutrition.. I like veg.. I eat all nutritious food. Occasionally chicken.. Now if u find something nutritious u can try that.. Don’t think too much 😉

I am a non vegetarian born in a vegetarian family. Once when my cousin broached the topic of how animals are slaughtered for the sake of my happiness, I told him to he needs to stop
wearing his favourite leather shoes and belts, using leather wallets,
buying his gf silk sarees,
killing cockroaches with hit,
eating vegetables and rice for they are also uprooted for the sake of tummy’s joy, even stop breathing because when he inhales he kills a lot of microorganisms
all lives matter

In that case arw we not killing the vegetables or the plant etc etc then..

Same scenario both are living organisms… also if we only eat vegetables and greens.. what will the animals do.. The herbivorous will surly have less. Food and suffer.. The carnivorous will have a easy way of hunting them..

We better not make a imbalance 😀😀

But I love non veg ..not a single meal without some kind of meat in it..

in plants they are storing their extra food in fruits and all.. and mainly we are consuming that extra food..i agree that there are cases where we kill the plants as whole like spinach…
better not to think more…leaving it to time..

Now a days they have so many wonderful “meat substitutes” for vegans and vegetarians. I know a lot of people feel morally convicted about these things, so sometimes the occasional substitute can help! I don’t eat meat, but I do eat seafood and prefer mostly vegetarian options (but this is more for general health than conviction). Thanks for opening up the conversation!

I find it interesting that people will stop eating meat for the fact they don’t want animals to suffer. However, very few people stop eating meat for their own personal health reasons. Humans can be such selfish beings, but when it comes to food… we won’t consider our own health as an influence to stop eating meat. Don’t get me wrong, I will eat some meat here or there, but in limited quantities. Maybe you should consider slowly cutting meat out of your diet, instead of taking a huge leap to cut it out all at once -> Moderation is Key.
Food for thought.

Understood, you are likely in the contemplation part of making this transition. You are still thinking and trying to figure everything out. Try treating meat more as a garnish to your meal, instead of the main dish, that could help to relieve some of your guilt and help you transition to eating less meat. As you find new foods (without meat) that satisfy your cravings, you will eat less meat. At some point you eventually physically feel ill after eating meat and that will stop you from going back. That is what happened to me and beef… I love the way it tastes, but I hate the way I feel afterward. Once your body catches up with your mind, it will be easier to do. Moral of the story, give it time. Everything comes in time, it doesn’t happen over night. Until then, start finding new, tasty recipes to swap out your old meals. Most importantly, keep moving forward and don’t get discouraged if you “fall off the bandwagon.” Get back on the wagon at the next meal or the next day. You will eventually get there.

thanks a lot. it was the reply which i wanted…i posted it months back.. and still now there is no much change in my eating habits..but your words really inspire me.. so i am leaving it to time.. let it happen..

You are very welcome. Remember to assess each day, think about what you can do differently to get you to your ultimate goal. Even if it means reflecting after you eat. Consider what you could have done differently to help you feel better about eating moving forward. Just remember, you can’t change the past. Best of luck!

I stopped eating meat after a trip to India + accidentally watching PETA videos. After the videos I just realized the pain and grew the feeling of empathy toward the animals – I guess you should try that.

that’s true – but at least you are taking an action for a good cause (and a plus if you help raise awareness to others). It’s like a presidential election – one vote of yours technically doesn’t matter in a pool of millions, but at least you are contributing your voice rather than keeping silent.

I am vegetarian and I am not against non vegetarians . I love animals and I feel the same as you . But if you love non veg you can go for it occasionally as by nature we are omnivorous or if you regret then take a decision and go for it…. 🙂

Dear Akhila,
I understand your situation, i though, being a Vegetarian entirely now had same conscience call that really pitied those innocent animals i ate. I suggest you not to be so hard on yourself as habits are something need to be replaced with new ones. So, start with eating and keeping your plate with veg. & non- veg and slowly increase the amount of former and decrease that of latter. I am sure you’ll be able to get rid of non veg without restraining them completely.

since half of the battle is won as your conscience being aware of the thing that hurts many, it’s now your habit and taste buds that need change. Go ahead am sure you’ll win 🙂

I say a prayer thanking the earth for allowing me to convert the fish into vital life energy. though i wish i could keep up with life’s demands without depending on animal protein… lamb does help my heart out, i must say. 🙂

you know what i also feel same i just cant stop eating non-veg but sometimes i think i should leave eating non veg because they are also living being but i cant control so please if u find an answer plz inform me tooo.

I can understand, I feel the same way. I feel like I am doing something terrible but even after realising I can’t stop. I don’t like fish and don’t fancy mutton, so I can easily leave them. But chicken is giving me trouble. I have a weakness towards biryani and kebabs. I can quit all other non veg items but how can I quit these two?

I was vegetarian for seven years before I started including fish in my diet. I’m now a pescetarian because the only meat I eat is fish. I stopped eating animal meat or anything from a mammal because I felt guilty that I loved animals and felt that mammals had emotions. I believe that simply because they could not communicate with us did not mean that they do not have feelings. I sometimes really miss eating bacon and sometimes it is tempting to want to eat it again, but then I watch a video on the atrocities of pig food farms and how they are mistreated and I no longer have the desire to eat it. Yeah, my not eating these animals is not going to stop them from dying or living out horrible meaningless lives, but I in my own way am not contributing to their slaughter. I am not endorsing or helping to perpetuate their treatment. And thankfully there are people in this world fighting for humane treatment of these animals.

I see nothing wrong with eating animals to survive. But the food industry has become corrupt and major food farms practice all sorts of unethical ways of plumping up their chickens or so on. They are placed in sunless rooms and modified to such an extent that they are deformed and top heavy to have more breast meat. Most chickens live without ever seeing the sun, and some can’t even walk because of their modified breasts.

Perhaps, you may want to consider eating animals that are from local farmers, knowing that they at least lived a decent chicken life. 🙂 Kobe beef I think give their cows massages and let them drink beer. Now that had to be one contented cow. Good luck and best of wishes–Lindsey V.

Thank you Lindsey for your detailed reply.. you shared a great point . once we know how the animals are treated before and after killing, we will be forced to skip them eating. But something in me prevent me from avoiding them completely. Once in a week, I eat only veg food. That’s it, may be as it’s my ritual.

I think one should go with what concience says. personally i feel compassion towards all living being is hallmark of humanity. Just to think that even if you dont eat killed animals others would eat is tricking yourself!
You may like to go through a blog post on this issue at http://suketablog.wordpress.com

It depends upon situation. Can you elaborate with example? There are 2 things which i feel personally either you be happy without hurting others or make others happy which will make both mind happy. Life is all about challenges, even the ocean has waves with ups and down, overcoming with sixth sense defines human.

Would that you could live on the fragrance of the earth, and like an air plant be sustained by the light.
But since you must kill to eat, and rob the newly born of its mother’s milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship.
………………………….
When you kill a beast say to him in your heart,
“By the same power that slays you, I too am slain; and I too shall be consumed.
For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.

I also face the same dilemma.I can’t help it..I love non-veg. 😦
I console myself by thinking that..”oh,after all I am not eating up their food(veg),I gave them chance to live for a long time and anyhow death is inevitable.” 😛 😀
P.S. no offence animal lovers 😐

I like both vegetarian and non-veg dishes and could happily eat both. I gave vegetarianism a go in the past but I think it proved I really do like my meat and fish! 😉 I admit, I do feel a little guilty for eating food with a face but so far I haven’t managed to give up completely.

I wish I knew…I am hooked on poultry, forgive me. My husband and I recently took our 4-year-old granddaughter out to eat and had a side-dish of shrimp.( She does not grow up in a vegetarian household.)
She asked what it was. I told her and her question was, “Were they alive?” I had to answer her and her reply was, “Get those away from me.” I have a feeling she will easily fit into the full vegetarian role. I will learn from her.

I always feel so much better about myself eating no meat oor chicken. I make allowances for mussels and tuna and other fish but new evidence suggests that they too can feel pain -at this rate I’m going to survive on fruit! Oh wait I already do – just about – but it is all GM fruit so I am back to here I started .

I went through a similar sentiment beginning last year in the summer. I knew it was a matter of time before I could not justify eating the flesh of another living being. I can’t honestly tell myself that my desire to eat meat trumps the right of a living creature to live. I don’t think my life is more valuable than the life of another sentient being. I haven’t eaten meat in 6 months now. Just my own personal perspective.

I’m a vegetarian! But I still eat fish sometimes, just because I feel like I’m hungry if I don’t eat a sort of protein. Sometimes I do vegan days, too. Technically, by not eating meat there is less demand and therefore there will be less supply so the animals won’t necessarily be cooked/eaten by someone else. Try introducing it slowly into your diet, there are great meat alternatives too 🙂 Even if you try being vegetarian or vegan a couple days a week and eat meat on the other it helps towards making a difference!

When my son was 3 he announced loudly in a restaurant, “Do all of these people know they are eating dead cows?” I felt awful. I wish I just could have paid for all their meals. We vascillate between vegetarian and non-vegetarian mostly by seasons. We find it easier in the Spring and summer versus the winter. All the fresh produce just looks so good.